


The Novak House

by deanwstories



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Alpha Gabriel (Supernatural), Alpha Lucifer (Supernatural), Alpha Michael (Supernatural), Alpha Sam Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Beta John Winchester, Bottom Dean Winchester, Consent Issues, Dark, Dean Winchester Has Self-Worth Issues, Dean Winchester-centric, Dubious Consent, Dystopian society, Extremely Dubious Consent, Falling In Love, Gender Roles, Hurt Dean Winchester, M/M, No Hunting, No angels, Omega Dean Winchester, Pack Dynamics, Protective Castiel (Supernatural), Protective Gabriel, Protective Lucifer, Protective Michael, Protective Sam Winchester, Rape/Non-con Elements, Self-Esteem Issues, Shifting perspective, Slow Burn, Unreliable Narrator, Vulnerable Dean Winchester, a little bit like mind control, a lot of consent issues, a lot of things that shouldn't be are normalized, a lot of vulnerabilities, four alphas sharing an omega, omega headspaces
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:41:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25966027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deanwstories/pseuds/deanwstories
Summary: A/B/O AU Dean Winchester is an anomaly. He didn’t present as an alpha or omega when he was supposed to at age twelve. He and his family always assumed he was just a beta. So he grew up with virtually no rules or restrictions. Which is fine. Because Dean doesn’t like limitations. At eighteen, just as he’s about to taste the freedom of being a newly fledged adult, nature decides to stick a giant middle finger at him and turn his life on its head.He's shipped off to the Novaks because John is just a beta and he can't retain custody over Dean. It has always been the Novaks' mission to help omegas like Dean to find his role in society and to teach him that being an omega isn't this terrible thing he's making it out to be. But Dean still clings to the taste of the freedom he grew up with and it might just be the Novaks that learn a thing or two about free will, love and happiness and what it all truly means.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Gabriel/Dean Winchester, Lucifer/Dean Winchester, Michael/Dean Winchester
Comments: 92
Kudos: 172





	1. prelude to something bigger

The day he was shipped off to the Novaks like an unwanted piece of cargo was on a day that was bright and beautiful and a couple weeks into Spring. Dean watched as mothers and fathers and daughters and sons walked side by side on their way to school. Other children rode on old, ratty bikes, laughing and chattering among friends as they raced passed each other and into the streets where cars driven by older, huffy adults would stop abruptly and honk angrily from the safety of their oversized machines. The sun was out and bright, high above white, fluffy clouds. It was a pretty day and everyone seemed happy. The kids were counting down the days until spring break with bated breath while parents with dread. Everyone was completely oblivious to what was happening just across the street.

Dean walked up the stairs with more than a little apprehension, even with his dad and Sammy at his heels, keeping him within eyesight. Like they weren’t just giving him away to some strangers now that he presented as an omega months after his eighteenth birthday. By society’s standards, as a beta, he would have the freedom to find a job and hit the road. Eighteen was when society deemed you as an adult and granted you independence. If you wanted to go to college, great. If you wanted to get a job and an apartment, also great. If you wanted to have sex with other consenting adults, it was your life. Your choices, your fuck ups, whatever. It was all you.

Unless, of course, you were an omega. Then you were never seen as an adult, because supposedly you were too dependent on other people. You had all kinds of vulnerabilities but it wasn’t your fault. It was just how biology made you.

But Dean knew, deep down, that was all bullshit. Sure he grew up in a household where everyone assumed he was a beta, and he had been treated as such. Maybe if he had presented as an omega and had all those rules and restrictions placed on him at an early age, he would have learned to be okay with it, maybe even liked it.

But he didn’t.

He grew up with choices. With freedom.

And now, because of stupid biology rearing its ugly head at the most inopportune time, giving Dean a giant middle finger, he was never going to get to get that taste again. He balled up his hand into a fist, trying not to glare at the large, rustic door attached to an even larger, nice looking house. He blinked back unshed tears, not even realizing he had been this close to crying over his damned future. He felt a hand squeeze his shoulder reassuringly and looked back to see Sam, his eyes narrowed and lips curled as he stared past Dean to the door like it was the most offensive thing he had seen. It dawned on him after a moment that since Sam presented as an alpha, he could smell the fear and anger that came off Dean like a giant tidal wave and his brother was angry on his behalf.

They were both thinking how absolutely unfair this was. With renewed determination, Dean turned back around and straightened up, his face slipping into an impassive mask, and he rang the doorbell. All the while, Dean ignored his dad who stood behind him just to his right. He knew it wasn’t his dad’s fault. John couldn’t keep custody because he was just a beta, and Sam was still a minor. By society’s law, Dean was property to the state now, and after a couple months, they found him a match in the Novaks. 

Four alpha brothers who were getting notoriety in helping omegas like Dean, an anomaly to society, to become proper omegas.


	2. stormy blue eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments last chapter! Here's a longer chapter.

What did it even mean to be a ‘proper’ omega?

All smiles and bowed heads to show respect. Never questioning the decisions made by the alphas, even if you didn’t agree with them. Sitting at the foot of the table on a specially made omega cushion. Getting hand fed like you were too incompetent to hold a fork or spoon. The humiliation of choices that you made for the last eighteen years of your life being taken from you in a single day. The degradation you’re faced with when you find your only job is to stay in the kitchen, or be ready on the bed. You were less than an alpha, even less than a beta...hell, you might not be even a full person anymore. You were like half a person, maybe not even that. Babies got cared for like omegas, sure, but at least they had a reason for it. They were too small to walk up the stairs. They didn’t know how to feed themselves, change their diapers, or put themselves into their cribs. They couldn’t communicate except to cry when they were upset. 

Dean grit his teeth together as he waited for the door to open. He wanted so badly to wipe his hand over his eyes, over the tears that threatened to spill down his face. This was stupid. So stupid. He didn’t cry. Not since before he presented. It made him angry thinking about his life from before. When he had been nothing but a beta. Just a normal guy with hopes and dreams. All of it crushed, like gravel, under his foot now. Like seeing that beautiful sunset over the ocean, feeling the sands between his toes. He might as well kiss that dream goodbye. 

Or riding in the Impala rocking out to AC/DC, his father sitting in the passenger seat, Sammy grumbling in the back. Tears started to roll down his cheeks. Angrily, he swiped at it. He felt Sam’s hand squeeze him again, and he had to force himself to stay still, looking ahead even though every fiber of his being wanted to turn around. He didn’t want to see the sympathy on his kid brother’s face though. That was probably even worse than being an omega. Having to deal with the fact that Sam was stronger than him. That he was always stronger than him. 

“I’m going to find a way to get you out, Dean,” Sam’s hissed whisper reached his ear. “I don’t care what it takes. I’ll research everything I can about law. Hell, I’ll work my ass off to get into Stanford and become a lawyer. Just wait, Dean, I’m going to get you out.”

Before Dean could even process what Sam just told him, the door swung open and Dean was met with a man who had dark hair and the most striking blue eyes he had ever seen. He found himself rooted in place, easily mesmerized by the man’s eyes. Dean had never seen the ocean in person, but he liked to think it was the same blue color as his eyes.

“Dean Winchester, I presume?” the man inquired, giving Dean a brief glance over before looking past him to John.

Dean’s hands clenched at his side at the easy dismissal. Maybe the man’s eyes were beautiful, but if this was any indication to what his future held in this household, he was pretty sure he was doomed from the start.

John took a step forward and nodded, clamping one hand on Dean’s other shoulder. Dean tried to hide the wince but his dad just tightened his grip. “Yes. This is my son, Dean. My name is John, and on the left is Sammy, my youngest son.”

“It’s Sam, not Sammy,” Sam snapped out.

The man in front of them whirled to face Sam, his eyes narrowed, “Have you not been taught manners? You do not get to snap at your father like that, no matter your secondary gender.”

Sam’s eyes widened, momentarily surprised at being scolded by a stranger, “What? But-”

“Be quiet now, _Sammy_ ,” the man snapped impatiently, before turning back to John without waiting for Sam to respond. “I apologize if that was overstepping boundaries, but I strongly dislike rude, little bratty children who don’t know how to behave around their parents.”

Dean could see Sam grit his teeth, obviously still angry but forcing himself to not make more of a scene than he already did. He was actually kind of impressed that Sam was able to hold himself back like this. Ever since he presented alpha, his fuse became shorter. He would get into a lot of shouting matches with dad over mundane things like not being able to stay out later than he wanted with his friends.

John cleared his throat, also astonished that someone who was not family yelled at one of his sons. “No, no it’s fine. I’m just a little...surprised, is all.” He side eyed Sam who was glaring at the ground. “I’ll have a word with you when we get back in the car, Sam.” Then his attention was back on the man’s. “I should be the one apologizing. We’re the guests here and usually Sam is better behaved.”

The man’s eyes softened as he looked back over to both Sam and Dean. “I understand the emotional turmoil you both must be feeling. It’s always hard to see someone you love leave.” His eyes linger on Dean a little longer. “But I promise it will be for the best, Sam. We, my brothers and I, want what’s best for Dean as well.”

“What’s best is to let him live his life how he wants to,” Sam said loudly, gaining courage again.

“You know that’s not how it works, Sam. Omegas can’t make their own decisions,” the man said, his voice gentle as he looked at Dean.

Dean could hear his heart hammering in his chest. There was something about how the man was staring at him that made him want to look down. Like he wasn’t supposed to be looking him directly in the eyes. He was breaking some rule. He was going to make the alpha upset and...and that couldn’t happen. An upset alpha was a bad thing.

“You shouldn’t be looking your alpha in the eyes, Dean,” the man spoke for the first time, straight to him. 

Dean blinked, suddenly dazed. Before he realized what he was doing, he was nodding along with what the stranger was saying. The alpha was right. Dean shouldn’t be looking at him. It wasn’t right. He found himself looking at the ground, at his feet.

“Good boy,” the man praised and Dean could feel his face flush. 

He smiled, realizing he really liked being called a ‘good boy’ because that was what he was. He was a good boy for his alpha. He nodded again, and mumbled, “I’m a good boy.”

“What the hell are you doing to him?” he heard Sammy demand from somewhere to his left. It was kind of far away though, like Sam was miles into the distance. Where was Sammy? Wasn’t his brother with him? Had he left him already?

“Sam! Don’t talk like that,” the hiss sounded oddly like his dad, but it was also far away.

“It’s okay, Dean. You may look up now,” the man’s voice cut through his half formed thoughts like a knife to butter. 

Dean shook his head, clearing away the feelings of floating away. “What just happened?” he mumbled.

“That was just a little taste of getting you into the right headspace. I know you’re scared of giving into your omega instincts, but Dean, I promised your dad that we’re not going to hurt you. My brothers and I...we’ve been helping lost omegas like you for a while now. I’m going to make a promise to you now as well...you have my word that we would never make you do anything that isn’t going to benefit you in the long run as an omega. You might not get the freedom you desire, but I can promise you that none of us would ever intentionally hurt you.” He paused. "Once you realize it's not that bad, you won't even miss being a 'beta'. You'll love being an omega."

Dean highly doubted it.

The man then smiled at him and reached a hand out for him to take. Dean found himself swallowing nervously as he took it shakily. He knew the man was trying to be reassuring, but somehow, it just felt like he was signing his life away.


	3. goodbyes aren't like in the movies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Thanks for all of the comments and kudos, guys! Here's a longer chapter. Sorry it took so long. Also going to be changing the tags. This story is a lot darker than I originally intended for it, but it will eventually have a happy-ish ending. I'm just a Dean-whump writer so...heads up.

The goodbye was brief. Briefer than Dean imagined the moment to be. Sam gave him a quick hug, his scent turning sour, almost foul with his rage that Dean almost pulled away and gagged. But catching his brother’s eyes, Dean found himself rooted to the spot, touched by Sam’s over-protectiveness. He knew in that moment Sam would do anything to make sure Dean was safe and happy, and he almost melted into the embrace, feeling overcome with love, blinking away sudden tears. _Damn it, Sammy, no chick flick moments_ , he thought angrily to himself, as he reached up to quickly wipe away the tears. Fucking omega hormones was messing with him.

“Dean, I’m serious. I’m going to find a way to free you,” Sam whispered before pulling back and stepping away before Dean could follow.

Dean didn’t reply. He just stood there like an idiot, watching Sam back. Then it was John’s turn. He didn’t even bother hugging Dean, which he was grateful for. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to keep himself together if his dad decided to come in for a hug too, no matter how brief. Anything remotely emotional coming from John Winchester was generally viewed as a big deal. Since they lost mom, John was probably one of the most emotionally repressed men Dean really knew. Don’t get him wrong. He loved his dad. John always tried his best and Dean knew, deep down, he loved both his sons with all his heart. But he couldn’t deny that John wasn’t an easy guy to live with sometimes, father or not.

Still, John cleared his throat and clasped a hand on his son’s shoulder, before looking him in the eyes and said, “Dean, I know I haven’t exactly been the most easy to get along with...I’m far from perfect.” Dean snorted, which earned a slight smile from John. “Yeah, champ. Obviously I’ve got my shares of flaws. But you know that I’ve tried. I’ve tried damn hard with you and Sam. It just hasn’t been easy without Mary.” He paused long enough that Dean knew he was waiting for a reply.

Deciding to give his dad a break, he answered, “Yeah, Dad, I know.”

John’s smile widened a little and he continued, “Good. That’s good.” He took a deep breath, “Look, you know I’m not good at any of this emotional stuff. There are a lot of things that I ought to have said to you and Sammy more of.” Dean could feel himself start to tense. His dad probably felt it too because his hand clamped on his shoulder started to tighten. John lowered his voice a little, “I love you, son. And I’m damn proud of what you’ve become, omega or not. And, and I think being here, with the Novaks, while I know it’s scary...I think it could be _good_ for you. It’ll be good for your brother too.”

“What?” Dean asked, still stuck on the part where his dad finally admitted he was proud of him. Soon the other words like ‘Novaks could be good for you’ started to sink in as well.

“Dean, listen to me, I know you think the Novaks are the bad guys, but hear me out. Please. They’re good people. They want to help omegas like you,” John whispered. "They've been helping omegas adjust to their new statuses for years now." John was pleading with him to listen. That this was a good thing. This was what Dean needed. 

Dean barely registered the rest of the things his dad said after that. It felt like a betrayal. All his life, his dad never treated him like a kid who needed constant supervision. In fact, because he was older than Sam, he was often the other head of the household. Sam was the one who had to listen to Dean all throughout their childhood, even when he presented as an alpha at twelve years old. Dean remembered the last couple years had been rough with Sam transitioning into an alpha but they still made it through without biting each other's heads off somehow. 

And _now_ John wanted him to submit to a bunch of strangers. After all those years of being able to make his own choices. Of being looked at and treated as an adult. It was all going to be stripped away in just a day because nature decided to be a giant dick and proclaim him an omega.

Before he knew what he was doing, he reached both hands up and roughly shoved his dad away from him. He watched in silent horror as John took a staggering step back in surprise. 

“Dean,” John said, once he caught his breath.

Dean didn’t say anything. He whirled around and stomped into the house. The alpha lingered outside for a few minutes as he slid down the wall right next to the door. He didn’t care if he got into trouble for this. He didn’t care if the alpha thought this was some kind of rebellion on his part. Let the alpha come and punish him. Dean just learned that his dad had been lying to him his whole life. _This is it_ , he thought. Obviously when John said that the freedom of choice was a right that all humans had, he really meant it was for betas and alphas.

Omegas had no rights.

Dean had no idea how long he sat there for, his knees pressed to his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around them. He also had no idea when he started to cry. But he was too tired to try and wipe them away or pretend he couldn’t feel them roll down his cheeks and drip onto his arm. 

He heard the alpha step inside and close the door behind him. The man’s hand reached out and grabbed his shoulder and for a second, Dean found himself tensing. He hated how emotional he had become over the past few months. He hated how weak he looked in front of strangers. In front of his own family. Most of all, he hated how weak he felt. The man surprised him by crouching in front of him. His blue eyes seemed to search his face for something. Dean had no idea what. Then suddenly he was being pulled towards the man, his cheek pressed into the heat of the man’s chest. He didn’t understand the warm tingling sensation that seemed to blossom from deep inside him. The alpha leaned his head on his shoulder, a large warm hand rubbing soothing circles on the back of his neck.

Dean began to feel drowsy, his eyelids suddenly heavy. He tried to fight the sudden sleep that was quickly overtaking him. He didn’t understand what was happening. He wanted to be left alone for a while. He struggled weakly in the man’s grasp, but the man just said, “Shh, shh, it’s okay, Dean. I know you have questions, but I promise we’ll answer them all later. For now, just rest.”

Then he was nodding off even when he didn’t want to.

Dean woke up hours later on a soft, comfortable bed. He stared up at the ceiling for a moment, still too tired and scared to do much else. For a confusing moment, he wondered if everything that happened earlier had just been one long nightmare. But when he slowly sat up and looked around, he realized nothing in the room looked familiar. The bed was too big to be his or Sam’s. The room was plain with a dresser on one side, a closet that was wide open and empty on the other. There was a vase with some plants near the only window in the room and a large desk next to the bed. There was a bathroom next to the dresser, the door slightly open, with the lights still on so that Dean could see parts of the white, porcelain toilet.

There was another door at the end of the room, just across from the bed that was halfway open and a small stream of light was filtering in. Dean was pretty sure that led to the hallway. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, realizing for the first time, he was barefoot. He looked down to see that he was still wearing the tee shirt and jeans he had come in with. The alpha only took his socks and shoes, but it was still _his_.

Dean rose to his feet and was already halfway to the door, when he heard voices. He froze by the dresser. It sounded like the alpha from earlier. And other people. His brothers.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for all of us to come in at once,” the first alpha said.

Dean rolled his eyes at the words. Like Dean was some scared animal they didn’t want to freak out. He was already freaked out enough to be in a house full of strange alphas, left by the only people he considered _family_. 

“Look, Cassie, I hear ya. Really, I do. But he’s going to be meeting all of us at some point anyways,” another alpha pointed out. “Might as well just get it over with. Just like ripping off a bandaid, you know?” 

_Exactly_ , Dean thought.

“Okay, one, it’s not Cassie. It’s Castiel,” the first alpha said. Castiel. The guy’s name was Castiel. At least Dean had one name. “And two, Gabe, he’s an _omega_. Yes, he will eventually be meeting all of us, but we do not want to scare him more than necessary. You know that omegas can be extremely fragile, especially newly presented ones like Dean. He’s going to be confused and angry and scared, all of which can be fairly volatile emotions.” There was a short pause, and Dean found himself tensing. He never liked being talked about like that, but it especially pissed him off that this Castiel thought that just because he was an omega, he was suddenly some weak, fragile thing prone to going crazy and taking off or something. “We have to approach this sensibly. Remember why we even started doing this.” His voice lowered just a little and Dean had to strain to hear the next words. “Our mission is to help omegas like Dean-”

Okay, nope. He couldn’t just stand there and pretend like he wasn’t hearing any of this. Without further thought, he stormed to the door and pushed it open. The door nearly collided into Castiel, who just barely caught the edge of it. He seemed caught off guard in seeing Dean out of his room, though only for a moment. He frowned as he looked Dean up and down, “Hello, Dean. I assume you’ve slept well?”

Dean clenched his jaw. _Not really. I don’t exactly sleep that well when it’s against my will_ , he thought. Instead, he nodded curtly, and said, “Yeah. Well enough.”

He could see that the alpha was carefully assessing him, probably wondering how to carefully approach the next topic without triggering some kind of crazy emotional response from Dean. Like he was some rabid animal that needed special handling. It just pissed him off even more.

The other alpha who stood next to Castiel seemed to sense the sudden tension in the air. He made a show to glance down at his watch and wrapped an arm around Dean and said, “Hey, boys, it’s almost a quarter past two. How ‘bout I make us some lunch and Deano can ask his questions?” It was a desperate attempt to cut into the tension. Dean opened his mouth to argue, because not everything could be solved with a little food, but his damn traitorous stomach decided to make itself known right then and there with a loud rumble. Fuck. He hadn’t eaten all morning.

“Fine,” he grumbled, feeling his face heat with embarrassment.

The other alpha grinned in response, grabbing Dean's arm and practically dragging him as they all headed down the hallway to the kitchen. “Great,” the alpha said. They reached the kitchen in no time.

The alpha pulled Dean closer and leaned in so that his lips were practically touching Dean’s ear, “You’re in for a treat, Deano. I make rib sandwiches to die for.” Dean shivered at his closeness, his warm breath ghosting over his skin. Before Dean could get overwhelmed by the alpha’s scent, the alpha pulled away with a wink, and began to prepare lunch. 

He followed Castiel to a nice long, regal-looking table. There were eight chairs. One at either end and three chairs in the middle on either side. Dean spotted four sets of glasses, already filled with water. He could feel his heart thundering in his chest as he searched almost frantically for a fifth glass. He couldn’t find a fifth one anywhere on the table. He swallowed, knowing full well the brothers had expected him to come today. Finally he looked down, dread quickly filling him when he saw the large, soft grey pillow right at his feet. It was sitting in between the chair closest to him on the left side, and the end of the table. Castiel watched him carefully as he looked around the room, torn between getting it over with now and just dropping to his knees like he was expected, or holding onto that last shred of defiance and dignity, at least until he couldn’t anymore.


	4. lunch with the novaks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick, short chapter. More of an introduction to Michael and some Dean being defiant. Thank you for the comments! Love reading and responding to them.

Dean imagined kneeling down on the pillow with his head bowed in submission while the alphas all sat at the table. He clenched his hands into fists, his fingers pressing into his palms to the point of pain. Gritting his teeth, Dean made up his mind. He whirled around to face Castiel, defiance showing in his green eyes. Maybe this was stupid, he would probably lose this battle and surely, the alpha would punish him, but...if he didn’t stand his ground here and now, Dean was afraid he’d just roll over in submission the rest of his stay at this horrible house.

“I’m not sitting on that,” he spat, glancing down at the pillow for a second. He looked back up to see Castiel narrow his eyes. There was a hint of that earlier rage he had shown when Sam acted up. But Dean didn’t back down. He stood up to alphas before, when he thought he was a beta. “You’re not making me sit on the floor,” he insisted.

“You’re not going to sit on the floor. You’re going to sit on the pillow, Dean,” Castiel told him, crossing his arms. “Don’t be so difficult.”

“‘Don’t be so _difficult_?’” Dean repeated back incredulously. “Pillow or not, that’s the floor. I’m not sitting and eating on the floor.” He glanced behind him to the chair next to the pillow. He turned and pulled out the chair before sitting down, looking at Castiel pointedly. “I’m sitting here.”

“No you’re not,” Castiel said calmly. He took a step forward and Dean found himself tensing, but otherwise not moving. Castiel was going to have to pry him off the chair. “Dean, get off the chair.”

Dean glared at the advancing alpha. ‘Make me,’ was on the tip of his tongue. 

Before he could argue, a new voice boomed into the room, “What’s going on here?”

Dean turned to face the new alpha who stepped into the room. Narrowed hazel eyes swept over him quickly before moving onto Castiel. “Castiel? I thought you had the omega under control.” Dean clenched his jaw. Were all the alphas here going to be really annoying?

“I did, Michael,” Castiel snapped. He turned to Dean, reaching out to grip the back of the chair, tipping it backwards. Dean almost fell forward at the sudden jerk. “Get down on your knees, Dean. You’re eating on the pillow.”

“No,” Dean said, gripping the table for balance. Fuck. This. He could feel the tears start back up. Damn it, didn’t he get past this? He turned his head to the other side so neither alpha could see that he was crying. Why the fuck, out of everyone in the world, did Dean have to get stuck with the short end of the stick and end up as an omega?

“Why is the omega crying?” Michael asked. “I thought you were going to ease him into this.”

Dean could feel his face heat. Great. Even when he tried to hide, he just couldn’t. He had no idea what was more humiliating. The fact that they all knew he was crying like a little kid or that they were talking about him like he wasn’t even in the same room. He wiped the tears from his eyes. It was pointless, but gave him the illusion of control in this situation.

“You’re scaring him,” Michael’s voice drifted over Dean’s thoughts. “Just let him sit there, Castiel.”

“What?” Dean turned to look at the alpha. 

Michael was smiling faintly at him. He walked over slowly to Dean, “You heard me. You can sit there. Relax. Gabriel’s almost done with lunch. Lucifer will be joining us shortly. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, Dean.” Dean stared at him with wide eyes, not quite believing that he was fine with Dean sitting on the chair when Castiel fought him to sit on the pillow. As if reading his mind, Michael looked down at the pillow. Dean tensed, following his gaze slowly, waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for Michael to tell him it was just some cruel joke and to get on the floor like a good little omega. But Michael just bent down and picked up the pillow and carried it out of the room without so much as a backwards glance.

Castiel’s grip on the chair finally loosened. He was quiet for a moment and Dean kind of wished he hadn’t been left alone with the alpha. But then, Castiel said, “I’m sorry, Dean. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He carded his fingers through Dean’s hair gently, affectionately. Dean leaned into the touch without thinking about it. Castiel smiled down at him, “I’m going to help Gabriel with the finishing touches.” Then the hand was gone and Castiel left Dean sitting at the table alone and confused.

It was almost thirty minutes later before Gabriel and Castiel brought out large plates of ribs and loaves of bread. The ribs smelled amazing and Dean was starved. Forgetting where he was for a moment, he reached out and grabbed some of the bread and a rib. He sat back down with his sandwich to see Michael return into the room with the last brother, presumably, Lucifer. Castiel took a seat next to Dean and Gabriel sat down across from them. They all looked at Dean in amusement, and again, Dean felt his face heat up. He waited a moment to see if anyone would call him out for not waiting but the alphas all grabbed their plates and took turns making their own sandwiches. 

Confused yet again, Dean decided to just relax and eat. Maybe he misjudged them. It happened, right? He flexed his toes and remembered earlier this morning. Castiel’s earlier words flashed through his head and Dean found himself tensing again. 

“ _I know you’re scared of giving into your omega instincts, but Dean, I promised your dad that we’re not going to hurt you._ ”

He had said those right after he did something to Dean that made him feel like he had been floating through the clouds. He glanced around him to see the alphas eating. He looked down at his own sandwich that was still on the plate in front of him. He was sitting at the table like he was their equal, but honestly, how long was that going to last? 

Omegas weren’t like betas and alphas. That was what everyone said. Even Dean, before he presented as an omega.

“ _You might not get the freedom you desire, but I can promise you that none of us would ever intentionally hurt you._ ”

Yeah, no one would intentionally hurt him...but Castiel didn’t care about Dean’s freedom. He didn’t need to. Because none of this was happening to him. It was happening to _Dean_. 

“You know it’ll taste better in your mouth,” Gabriel’s voice startled Dean out of his thoughts. He jerked his head up to look at the alpha who just raised an eyebrow. “You’re gonna hurt my feelings if you just keep staring at it. I’m not that bad of a chef. You think these guys would suffer through my cooking if I were?”

“I wouldn’t,” Castiel confirmed.

“Yes, we would,” Lucifer said at the same time.

“You would?” Castiel asked, looking at his brother with a raised eyebrow.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “We would,” he repeated. “We _did_. For _you_ , Cassie.” Dean watched as he stood up. “Anyone want some champagne?”

“Quit calling me Cassie. That’s not my name,” Castiel scowled. “And I thought you said I was a good cook. When exactly did you suffer through my cooking?”

“Oh, grab me a glass, Lucifer,” Gabriel called out.

Dean’s eyes darted from one brother to the other, not quite sure what to make of this interaction. It was bizarre. This almost reminded him of the way he bantered with his own brother back home. He gripped the edge of the table, suddenly homesick. 

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Michael looking at him. “Relax, Dean. I told you. We’re going to ease you into this. Trust me, okay?”


	5. breakdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Just a small chapter update to let you all know I haven't abandoned this storyline. I had some writer's block so I decided to work on other ideas. Thank you for all the comments and everyone who is still following the story! Just a little warning that Dean's got a lot of self-worth issues that's going to pop up in this chapter.

Dean watched as Lucifer came back with a couple tall glasses and a large bottle of expensive looking champagne. He was a little envious as Lucifer opened the bottle effortlessly and started pouring a glass for his brother. He licked his lips, wondering if he should try to test his luck again. He was still mad that they tried to get him to sit on the pillow like some prized dog. He was also still mad at his dad and Sam for just leaving him here with these strangers just because the state said so. 

He knew it was unfair to be angry at them. His dad tried his hardest. He was on the phone for weeks, even drove to one of the offices. And Sammy...well, he was only fourteen. What the fuck could the kid do? Dean was just homesick. He hated being here. He hated being an omega. He didn’t want to get to know these guys. He didn’t want to live a new life as an omega. He wanted the Impala back. He wanted to get a job and save money for college. God. Why couldn’t he have continued being a beta? It would have been simpler. Better. 

Dean could feel the beginning of a tear forming. He blinked. Fuck. Was he always going to have to deal with this? Was he always going to have no control over his emotions? 

_Get it the fuck together. You’re a freaking Winchester for crying out loud._

More tears formed. Dean gritted his teeth. God fucking damn it. He looked down at his untouched plate, hoping that no one could see him crying like a baby. For no reason. He felt a tear slide down his cheek. He was weak. So fucking weak. It just reminded him of his dad’s face the day he presented. The look of shock, then the flash of disappointment. It had been quick, so quick he almost didn’t catch it. But he did. That look on his dad...it wasn’t going to be something he forgot any time soon. He felt his fingers start to curl. 

Before he knew what he was doing, he was rising to his feet. The chair he had been sitting on fell behind him with a loud thud. All of the alphas stopped what they were doing. Dean could feel their eyes on him, but he refused to look up. Michael reached up to grab his arm, his long fingers gently brushing his bare skin. Dean shrugged him off easily. “I’m not hungry,” Dean mumbled, stumbling over the chair and leaving the room as quickly as he could.

He ran through the next room, a large open room with expensive furniture. He didn’t dare to stop, even when his legs felt like jelly, he didn’t want the other alphas catching up to him. Didn’t want the confrontation. He was such a fuck up, such a failure. He found the stairs easily and headed up the stairs. He had no idea where he was going, just trying to get as far away from the brothers as possible. Maybe, maybe he deserved to be here after all, discarded like a piece of trash on the side of the road, abandoned by the very people that should have had his back.

Life was just utterly unfair sometimes.

He opened the nearest door and walked into the room. It was dark, the curtains shutting out all the light from the outside. He closed the door behind him, making sure to lock it, and slid down, his body feeling suddenly tired, drained. In the darkness, hidden away from the alphas, Dean let himself cry freely for the first time since he presented.

_“Uh, Dad, I don’t...I’m not feeling so good,” Dean said, peeking from behind his door._

_He watched through bleary eyes as his dad looked him up and down with a frown. He was silent for a moment, before he reached a heavy hand over and clasped it tightly on Dean’s shoulder, “You get some rest now, son. We’ll talk later.”_

_Then his dad stepped back, letting Dean close his door, a little confused about his reaction. He didn’t look all that excited even though today was Dean’s birthday and all any of the Winchesters had been talking about all week had been what they were going to do to celebrate Dean turning eighteen. He walked over to his bed, and fell face first on the pillow. Times like this, he sure wished his mom was still alive. She would have known how to make Dean feel better. She always had._

Dean must have fallen asleep because the next time he opened his eyes, the tears had dried and the room looked darker than it had been previously. _Great_ , he thought bitterly, _I basically cried myself to sleep like a freaking little girl._ As if he needed more reason to hate his new designation. He reached up to rub his eyes. This place sucked. These alphas sucked. His new life sucked. 

He thought about his old life, the one he had just a day ago, with Sammy and dad, and the Impala. Where he still had high school to finish, where he’d graduate and gain independence and could get a job anywhere he wanted and could get a place anywhere he wanted, with anybody he wanted.

He felt tears spring to his eyes again and immediately, he wiped them away, suddenly angry, suddenly furious. It had been his future that had been taken from him, his life. In a single day, in a single turn of events, his whole life turned upside down. He clenched his hands. He could feel his nails biting into his palms. It hurt, but he didn’t let up. Some part of him, a small part of him that seemed to be growing with each minute, with each hour, with each day thought maybe, maybe he deserved the pain, maybe he deserved everything that was happening to him right now.


End file.
